Help us Plan our Next European Adventure!
Now that we have precious Baby B in our lives, we have to spend a little more time planning our future adventures. We now have to consider packing things like a stroller and car seat, not to mention a sufficient supply of diapers and baby wipes.
In two weeks time, we will be taking Baby B on his first international flight to Palm Springs, California. We’re excited to see how he adapts to travel, although we both agree that he likely won’t even notice the difference. Nevertheless, it will be a great trial run to see how he handles the flight and changing environments.
After much debate, we’ve decided to take Baby B overseas this summer. The general plan is to visit family in Germany so that they can finally meet the little man. After that, our plans are pretty much wide open.
This is where you come into the picture. We need your help deciding where to go and what to do!
We’ve narrowed down our list of potential destinations to…
- Northern Italy - we’ve been reading great reviews about Bologna, Reggio Emilia and Genoa, which has subsequently bumped these cities up the list. If we decide on Italy, we would also like to explore ancient Rome and its famous attractions, ideally staying in a centrally located apartment like the one’s found on Oh-Rome.com.
- The Swiss Alps – we love playing in the mountains and Switzerland has some of the world’s finest. Ideally we’d like to spend a few weeks hiking in the mountains, swimming in fresh water lakes and exploring it’s alpine villages.
- Coast of Spain – our ideal itinerary for Spain would be to travel along the coast from Barcelona to Valencia, visiting the cities of Tarragona, Benicarlo, Castellón de la Plana and Sagunto.
- The Algarve on the coast of Portugal – aside from its breathtaking landscapes, sun drenched beaches and culinary delights, we’ve heard that the network of Algarve golf courses rival the best in the world.
- Southern France – we’re intrigued by the canal boat tours that are becoming quite popular in Europe (where we captain our own small house boat that sleeps 4-10 people). We’d also love to soak up the sun in the coastal cities of Marseille, Toulon, Cannes and Nice.
- Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Vatican City and/or Andorra – as some of the world’s smallest countries, we are considering a few days in one or two of these European countries. Of course, which ones will be dependent on the other countries we visit (Liechtenstein if we travel to Switzerland, Monaco if we visit France, Andorra is we visit Portugal, Vatican City if we visit Rome).
We’d love to hear your feedback on each of these destinations
Give us the good, the bad, the ugly. We will likely get a limited rail pass to take us from Germany to two or three of the above destinations.
Our plans are still quite loose, so feel free to throw a wrench in the above plans and suggest another location in Western Europe – leave your feedback in the comments section below.
Cameron and Nicole Wears are a Canadian couple and newbie parents living in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. A passion for travel and outdoor adventure has taken them to over 65 countries & territories on 6 continents in the past 7 years. Consider following us via 
Where is family in Germany? I hope this means you take a double dose of time to see Germany. It is often such an overlooked place and yet totally cool.
Liechtenstein is neat and worth maybe 2 days unless you truly go hiking up in the hills. It is worth at the least taking the bus up out of Vaduz. There are articles on Grounded Traveler about Liechtenstein and Feldkirch Austria which is around the corner. Ali and I went for a weekend last year and it was neat. Though it uses Swiss francs and is appropriately expensive.
Bologna is my all time favorite city in Italy. I haven’t really been south of Pisa, but for me the old University town is great. Being a uni town there are always cheap eats in town if you search. It also has so much of the food that we associate with Italy. There are plenty of things to do within day trips (Ferrara is to be put on that list as well. If you do look for the dates of the annual Busker Festival.) San Marino is also nearby for your tiny-country list. NVR Guys have some articles about Bologna recently.
Valencia is also worth visiting. We did Tomatina last year, though I would not repeat that experience. Pretty much any of your lists sound good, but above are my thoughts.
Thanks for the awesome feedback Andrew! We will spend the majority of our time in Germany, in the Mosel region south of Koblenz. We love it there.
Where are you living now? Perhaps we can meet up?
I loved canal boating, but don’t think I’d take a baby on one. They are tiny and leave very little room for an active infant to play safely.
That’s a great point Shannon. We’ve thought about that, and the nervousness of him falling overboard.
There isn’t much outdoor space on the boats anyway…it was good, but maybe an adult holiday. Lots of food, wine and relaxing.
I’m confused…why aren’t we just doing them all?
There’s the right attitude! We’d love to do them all but unfortunately we won’t have enough time.
I voted for the Swiss Alps. My first trip outside of the U.S. and Canada was to the German-speaking countries of Europe, and my favorite place was Luzern, Switzerland. You can go up Mt. Pilatus (either hike it or take the gondola up it, totally doable with little guy) and see incredible views of the Swiss Alps and Lake Luzern. Also, the town is one of the quaintest and most relaxing I’ve been to in Europe. The Lake offers so many options for activity or relaxation.
I wish Croatia was on your list … the Dalmatian coast is my favorite place visited in Europe so far.
Looking forward to hearing how the vote turns out and seeing where you end up!
Sounds fantastic Ellen! Thanks for your feedback
We actually visited the Dalmatian Coast on our last trip to Europe. It’s a beautiful place!
I picked southern France, never been there but it sounds interesting. Looks like it is in the lead now as well!
Thanks for helping out Natalie… we can’t seem to make up our mind! :-0
We want to stay on a canal boat, too! So I vote for that option because it’s the one I would pick.
Have you found a place that’s reasonably priced? We were looking at renting one for a week in the U.K. and it was ridiculously expensive. We almost could have just bought our own used houseboat for that price, lol.
We have actually been approached by a company to partner with them. I haven’t looked at the prices yet… but I can imagine they are not cheap (we might have a large group with us though… so that would bring down the costs)
Thanks for your feedback!
I voted for Spain, but do know that Southern Spain would be the southern coast in Andalucia around Malaga. The trip you’re planning is actually along Spain’s east coast along the Med.
I lived in Valencia for two years, so I’m partial to that city. It has a great mix of modern and incredibly old, lazy beaches and cool trips to the mountains. Day trip possibilities are endless and there are amazing castle ruins and an old city fortress from 219 BC.
It’s phenomenal.
Ah, good to know! I have made the adjustments
Thanks for the feedback
I think I would avoid Rome with a little one, hot, crowded, noisy, not baby buggy friendly etc. I would go for a slower calmer vacation like Switzerland as a first major trip with a little one.
Good luck!
Thanks for your feedback Michelle!
If you go to Northern Italy, you have to put Cinque Terre on your list (if you haven’t been yet) The hiking trails between the villages are beautiful (along the ocean), not sure though how many will be open this summer after all the rains & devastation last fall. We actually saw quite a few couples with babies doing the hike. Southern France gets my vote too – I am not the biggest fan of Marseille but it’s cheap to fly there from Germany and car rentals are inexpensive. Aix-en-Provence is wonderful and Cassis is a gorgeous little beach town.
Wow, Cinque Terre looks incredible! Thanks for the tips GTGs!
My vote is for France but I’ve been obsessed with this country since I was child! I remember you mentioning housesitting in France (on Facebook) and I think it’d be the perfect thing to do this summer, especially with the baby! Do watch out for HUGE tourist crowds if you head over there in August, practically all French people go to summer in the south.
Thanks for the great feedback Caro! France seems to be the front runner
I voted for Luxembourg. It’s a pretty, quaint and relaxed little duchy. I only saw the capital but I really enjoyed it. The riverside area looks like a quiet French village buy on the plateaux it’s like a major European city. Good for a couple of days at least.
We will be staying a few hours away from Luxembourg, so I think it will make the list! Thanks for your feedback Andrew
Ooh, this is a hard one. They are all such great destinations and offer so many different types of experiences. But, if I had to choose one it would be northern Italy. We loved Bologna on our visit there years ago and it’s hard to beat for food. Just amazing. And, Italians love babies. So, it’s a win-win situation
If you do go to France, I’d take a look at the southwestern part of the country around Toulouse. I studied there while at University and Dan and I rented an apartment near Carcassone after we were married. Just as beautiful IMHO as Provence, but without all the tourists. And, the people are friendly
It’s going to be so tough to make the final decision! We might just have to stay longer and visit them all… appreciate the feedback Audrey!
My wife and I did a Canal tour up the Seine in 2003 From Honfleur into Paris. It was, without a doubt, the best trip I’ve done (not just because it was our honeymoon
). We didn’t end up doing the additional 7 days from Paris south to the Riviera but kept in touch with many who did.
One couple, that travels on 2 week trips up to 8 times a year said they enjoyed it so much that ” it was the only trip we’ve done in the past 10 years we would do a second time. The only other European trip even close was a Bicycling / Barge tour of Amsterdam”.
You have all fantastic choices above and if your little one is anything like mine are he won’t miss a beat during the travel.
Cheers,
Craig
My vote would definitely go to the south of France (though I did live there for a while so am slightly biased). It’s got it all – beautiful natural surroundings, great weather, delicious cuisine, cosmopolitan towns & cities and lots of hidden gems too (such as Sète’s canals). Marseille sometimes gets a bad rep (esp with French people) but I loved it- it’s a fusion of European and North African culture and has some great beaches. What’s more if you want to visit Monaco it’s a short train ride from Nice & Cannes (with killer views) so you can kill two birds with one stone!
Definitely 2, 3, 4!! Land in Northern Italy: visit Milan etc, get a train to southern France ( so chic and gorgeous during the summer) an then hop back on the train and get off in Barcelona and do the Spanish coast! Sounds like a plan? Info at http://www.theitalianinsider.com for Italy!
I vote for the Algarve or Bologna. I have heard great things about these areas. Plus, the food in Bologna is too good to pass.
Thanks Ruth! It’s going to be a tough decision
When are you going? We will be in Genoa at the end of June to visit a friend and then travel across Northern Italy back to Eastern Europe before heading to the UK to enjoy being in the atmosphere of the Olympics.
We should be there in August – sounds like we’ll miss each other by a couple weeks
Too bad. We’ll be in the UK for the first part of August to take in the Olympic atmosphere and then in Holland for the last half! Happy planning!
I’ll think better go the coast of spain as i have heard many great stories about it.
We have driven from the hills behind San Remo on the Ligurian coast of Italy and stayed at La Spezia (to do the Cinque Terra) but you could do that easily from Genoa also, and drove to southern Tuscany (fantastic – stayed in a farmhouse). A stop at Lucca and Balogna would be good (I can’t vouch for those 2 personally, but I would definitely do them if I had the opportunity). Sienna is beautiful and easy to do. Do not think the Cinque Terra is too touristy and overrated (although it would be busy in summer). If you think hiking may not be good with Baby B, there is a train line between the 5 towns. You buy a day pass and can get on and off at will, or walk part and train part. We did the Cinque Terra walk in April when the weather was good. It was spectacular. There has been damage to the walking trail, I do not think it is all open.
Normally I would advise to go to Andalusia in the south of Spain. However, with a baby in August? That is probably way too hot. It can easily get 40 degrees Celsius in August in Spain. Then probably your best guess is Switzerland (hiking in the mountains, swimming in a mountain lake..) ! Of course the Netherlands can be very special too, but we usually have a lot of rain in the summer. Let us know if you do decide to come to Holland, we’ll show you around or give you tips if you want.
Recently I had 9 month old twins visit us. There parents bought these little pop up tents for them to sleep in instead of cots. They were really great and folded up conveniently small. They have a zip up flyscreeen that keeps the baby safely inside. Might be useful for yourselves. Here is the link, plus there is another brand called Peapod evidently.http://www.babybunting.com.au/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/2800/s/77779/category/8/
The island of Sark is a pretty special place – very eco-friendly with no cars, so the normal transport is horse and carriages, bicycles or foot. It’s magical and so relaxed.
It’s off the coast of Normandy and lovely warm weather in the summer. Great food, mostly grown on the land and caught in the surrounding shores of the island.
Easy and safe to stroll around and plenty of cafes and restaurants with gardens. New vineyards are now producing great wine and there’s talk of a new microbrewery for the island.
Lots of wildlife to see and boutique hotels to check out – the Aval du Creux has a swimming pool and La Moinerie’s lodges are good for small families because they have two bedrooms.
Sark is the world’s first dark sky island with amazing coastal views and walks to secluded coves. It’s only three miles by one mile in size – worth a trip over if you’re in France!
Bee
For me, the best place to travel with in Europe is in the Swiss Alps where you can enjoy more and more adventure.
Well I think that you can visit Spain. Excuse me for my English.
I live near Barcelona and you have a lot of things to do and visit. The coast of Spain isn’t only sun and beach!
Well, in Barcelona you can visit the center of the town (Barri Gòtic) with the cathedral, les Rambles and the port, la Sagrada Família from the architect Gaudi and Parc Güell, l’Eixample and Passeig de Gràcia, the park of Ciutadella. There are museums as Museum of Science and Nature, MNAC (Museum of National Art of Catalonia) that includes paintings of Romanic Churchs from Vall de Boi (Lleida), the FC Barcelona Stadium and Museum,etc.
Ther are a lot of pretty towns along de coast. I know towns only from Catalonia, not from Valencia coast. Here You can visit Cadaqués, Port Lligat, the Castle of Pubol (where lived and painted Salvador Dalí and Gala). Figueres is a interior town but there you can visit The Theatre Museum of Dali there. Sitges, near Barcelona, is a pretty town too. Girona is the capital of province of Girona and is beatiful too.
Tarragona is the capital of province. It was the capital of Roman Hispania. There a lot of thigs related with the Roman past.
The south of France is near Barcelona. In Barcelona you can take ferry to visit Mallorca, Menorca, Eivissa, Formentera. The ferry is about 8 or 8 hours.
Well and there are beaches and sun. You can do a lot of activities. But you must know too that in summer the coast is were all the people go. Be carefull with prices because in the touristic zones and in summer is all more expensive but perhaps with the Global Crisis and the specific crisis we live here in Spain the prices are lower, I don’t know. Any way I wish you visit our country and Barcelona.
Be carefull about sun if you come here, get protection. And be carefull about drink Sangria too!
Well if you want more info, you can ask me.
Regards from Spain
David
You can’t miss out Austria! Need any info, just check out my website!
So many great choices – limiting to 3 is a challenge!
I have been back a number of times to Provence – so that gets my first vote – I would gladly go back in a heartbeat! Marseilles wasn’t the place for me, but moving around the countryside and through Aix-en-Provence was amazing. It is an easy day trip to head north and see some great mountains!
My next vote – the coast of Spain – have only seen Mallorca, so have no tips to share on the mainland – only know that many friends have spent time there and love it! I love the Spanish – the culture, the language…..the cities…..heading to Barcelona for the first time on the way home from Mallorca. Mallorca is stunning if you are able to spend some time there! The beaches and coastline contrasting with the agricultural inland – can’t get enough! If time permits, the Spainish coast could continue along and include a little of the Algarve – that is only a little extension from Spain….
I can only imagine how dreamy it would be to spend some time hiking in the Swiss Mountains – the clean air, the open landscape…
Whatever you do, I am sure it will be spectacular.
You have to do the Algarve! If you want a beach experience without all the crowds of Spain, the Algarve is the place to go. Granted, a place like Lagos will be crowded but you can find less crowded beach destinations and small villages along the coast. If you want some recommendations let me know!
Hi Traveling Canuks! If you go north of Barcelona, you will experience the rugged cliffs of the Costa Brava. Less crowded and cooler than the southern coast. Water gets deeper quickly, their aren’t as many people, small fishing villages with great restaurants. Scenic hiking paths border the Mediterranean Sea on top of the cliffs.
In southern Spain, broad and more crowded beaches. Very hot, not as scenic. Let me know what you decide!